Google is testing a new way for you to download apps that doesn't require the app store

Instead, you could just Google it, and start downloading the app right from the search result

This feature isn’t available to everyone at the moment — and only works through the Google app, not Chrome — but the ability to download apps directly from Google's search results has begun rolling out to some users, according to AndroidPolice.

The process is as simple as it sounds: search for an app, tap on the result, and a card will appear prompting you to download the app.

Google's choice to allow browser-integrated app downloads stands in contrast with Apple’s stance that all apps have to be downloaded through its official App Store, unless of course you've modified your iPhone by jailbreaking it. Some users have found ways to circumvent the App Store and side-load apps, but the process is cumbersome and requires connecting your phone to a Mac if you're running iOS 9. Even apps that you’ve already managed to side-load aren’t safe, which users of the popular blue-light reducing app F.lux have recently learned.

While preventing apps from being side-loaded is one way to decrease the chances of people accidentally downloading malicious apps, there's no denying some people might prefer skipping the step of visiting the app store altogether.